A Cinderella Story
by Ms Weasly
Summary: To improve the InterHouse Unity, Dumbledore starts a new project for the students. Hermione gets a new friend, maybe more than a friend, but who is it?


"Silence!" Dumbledore's voice boomed across the Great Hall at the start of term feast. He'd just announced that the school was doing a project this year. I was so exited! In an attempt to improve the inter-house unity, every student got a diary. It was not an ordinary diary; it was a magical one. Two of the diaries were connected, and that way we're supposed to get to know someone from another house. But the catch was it has to be anonymous, we can't tell each other who we are until we've corresponded with each other for three months.

"I want each and every one of you to take this project seriously! You will find your diaries in your dormitories, and you'll have to stick to the person you're paired with. Now tuck in!"

"Wow, this is going to be really exciting!" I exclaimed while loading my plate.

"What's so exciting about that?" Ron blurted out.

"Oh, I don't know Ron. Maybe it's the chance to get to know someone new. Maybe it's the possibility that we'll get a bit more united in the war against Voldemort!"

"Yeah, like that's going to happen! With my luck I'll probably be paired with Malfoy!" Ron managed to say before he tucked in like there was no tomorrow.

"That's disgusting, Ron!" I glared at Ron. His mouth was so full of food he barley was able to keep it in.

"Yeah I know, who'd want to be paired with Malfoy?"

"I weren't talking about Malfoy, Ron! I was referring to your eating manners. Honestly, you'd think you've never seen food before. Besides, it can't be that bad to be paired with Malfoy-"

"That bad? Hermione, it's Malfoy we're talking about here! Son of a Death Eater, he could even be a Death Eater himself for all the hell I know!"

"I get the point, Ron. Just because his father's like that doesn't mean he's like that. Look at Harry! He didn't turn out like his relatives!" I pointed out.

"Sure Harry didn't, but you've seen the way Malfoy acts. He's just like his father and the rest of his family. Or have you forgotten what he usually calls you?"

"Of course I haven't." I said in defeat. "But for all we know that's just an act."

"Seriously, are you in love with him or something?" Ron asked, giving me a piercing stare.

"WHAT? In love with him? Who could ever love him?" I exclaimed.

"My point exactly!" Ron said triumphantly.

At the same time, Harry started coughing violently and laughing at the same time. I started hitting him on the back to help the coughing stop. He managed to swallow some water at last and the coughing stopped. I looked at him questionably when he didn't stop laughing.

"Sorry, it's just so fun listening to the two of you bickering like that. You sound like an old married couple."

"No, we don't!" Ron protested.

I thought about it for a while, and started snickering.

"What?" Ron asked confused.

"Harry's right. We do sound like an old married couple. But it's not my fault that Ron is such a narrow-minded git!"

"Hey, you'd me a narrow-minded git too if you were a pureblood and grew up around people like Malfoy!" Ron spat.

"Fine. Why don't you just join Malfoy and the rest of the purebloods and leave us muggleborns alone!"

"Hermione. I didn't-"

"How can you be so thick Ronald! You don't have to judge the book by it's cover you know! Things aren't always as they seem!" And with that I stood up and stomped out of the Great Hall. I hurried up to the Gryffindor tower, forgetting all about my prefect duties.

As soon as I reached my dorm, I hurried to my bed and slumped down. I was fuming with rage. I can't believe how thick he can be sometimes. I noticed something hard under my back. How strange, I hadn't had the time to put any of my things on my bed yet. I rolled to my side and saw the diary lying there. Of course, Dumbledore told us it would be in our dormitories. The diary got my thought away from Ron since I was eager to check it out. I couldn't wait to find out who my secret new friend was. I found my favourite quill, and opened the diary. It was blank. Not that I expected anything else on the first night back here. The start of term feast was barley over. I could hear some chattering outside in the common room. I had no idea what to write to this stranger, so I just opened with most common word:

_Hello?_

I sat in anticipation for five minutes, waiting for a reply. But it didn't come. Just as I was about to give up, new words appeared on the page.

_Hi! Who are you?_

I laughed. Why did people never pay attention to what they're told? I was ecstatic to get an answer so quickly. I never would have believed that. I seemed to be the only one caring so much about school, unless for the Rawenclavs maybe. Maybe that's it! Maybe I'm writing with a Ravenclav! But on the other side, a Ravenclaw should have listened to what Dumledore said

_You know I can't tell you that! Didn't you listen to what Dumbledore said?_

I was startled of a loud creaking noise, and looked up to see Parvati and Lavender entering the dorm.

"Hi!" they giggled. "Why did you leave so early? Did you have a fight with your boyfriend?" Lavender asked.

"I don't have a boyfriend!" I huffed, "and yes me and Ron had an argument!" I looked down just in time to see the answer appearing in my diary.

_Sure, I did, but he can't control if we're following his rules!_

Okay, so Ravenclaw is out of the picture. Only a Hufflepuff or a Slytherin could have said something like that. Most likely a Slytherin though. Slytherin have never been to fond of Dumbledore…

_Are you kidding me? Of course he can! I'm sure he's put some kind of protection spell so you can't reveal your identity until you're allowed. You remember the Goblet of Fire, right? Even Fred and George couldn't fool that age line he made!_

_Yeah I know. I wouldn't want to risk having the same consequences as they did! It's just weird to write to some stranger, that's all._

I giggled at that memory. Fred and George in a beard was quite a sight! But they weren't the only ones who'd tried to hoodwink the goblet. I heard of some Hufflepuffs that tried sneaking their names in in the middle of the night. Madam Pomfrey hadn't been too pleased about that, but it was pretty obvious that Dumbledore was amused by it.

_I wouldn't be less of a stranger even if you knew my name though._

_Maybe not. Maybe I know who you are…_

_Yeah, and then you probably wouldn't want anything to do with me._

_Nah, I think it would be the other way around! If you knew who I were…_

_Well, then we have something in common! To people who wont want anything to do with each other._

_Well isn't that good. So, back to my question, can you at least tell me your gender? _

_Okay, I can answer that! I'm a girl, and you?_

_I'm a boy… Don't mean to be rude or anything, but I'm pretty tired now…_

_Oh, okay. Good night then._

_Good night. Maybe I'll se you tomorrow!_

With that, I closed my diary. In some way I wish I never wrote in it, because now I'm even more curious on who the other person is. I was brought out of my thought reverie when I heard my name mentioned.

"So Hermione, aren't you and Ron dating then?" Parvati suddenly asked while she was changing to her pyjamas.

"No, what makes you think that?" I asked rather puzzeled. I could feel the redness creeping out in my cheeks and pretended to be busy with something else.

"You can't be serious!" Lavender laughed. "It so obvious!" They both sat down on the opposite bed of mine and gave me piercing stares.

"What's obvious?" I started changing to my own pyjamas so keep myself occupied.

"How can you not see that Ron is in love with you? It's so obvious. I'm sure he has been since our first year!" Parvatti gossiped.

"What!" I exclaimed.

"Come on, Hermione! You must have noticed! Don't you like him?" Lavender asked, giggeling.

"No I don't. He's just one of my best friends!" I answered defensively.

"You don't mean that!" Parvatti interrupted me. "Come on, he's so cute!"

"Yeah, have you seen him in his quidditch robes? He's got some nice muscles after he started as a keeper!"

Both Parvatti and Lavender had a dreamy look on their faces. I rolled my eyes and sighed. Parvatti and Lavender probably thinks that all the boys in this school are cute. Especially Harry since he's so famous and Ron for being his friend.

They got so busy discussing all the boys in the school that I had no problem going to bed unnoticed.


End file.
